Week 11 at Seattle Seahawks
Austin Hooper caught 6 passes for 49 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' Week 10 win over the Cowboys. He now has a touchdown reception in two of his last three games and the 6 receptions were his most since Week 6 when he caught 7 passes against Miami.
The Falcons did a much better job spreading the ball around last week and perhaps that's a good sign for Hooper moving forward. He ranks as our TE14 for Week 11 and actually has a nice matchup on Sunday night when the Falcons travel to Seattle. The Seahawks rank 24th against fantasy tight ends this season, so if you're in a pinch at tight end, Hooper is worth the gamble.
Week 10 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Austin Hooper caught three-of-six targets for 36 yards in the Falcons’ Week 9 loss to the Panthers. He caught all three of his passes in the first half and was the intended target on Matt Ryan’s lone interception but he fell down on the play.
Hooper has the size to be a solid red zone target but his game leaves a lot to be desired (namely he doesn’t fight for the ball with defenders in his hip pocket). Ranked as our No. 13 TE for Week 10, you could do worse than Hooper but we’d still look elsewhere.
Week 9 at Carolina Panthers
Austin Hooper caught 4-of-6 targets for 47 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' Week 8 win over the Jets. He could have had another touchdown but he failed to catch a wet ball in the driving rain while wide open at the goal line.
Hooper has now posted double-digit fantasy points in three of his last four games in PPR formats. That's great, but he also finished with just 1 catch for 6 yards against the Patriots in Week 7, so he remains a boom-or-bust fantasy option.
Ranked as our No. 15 tight end for Week 9, Hooper isn't recommended when the Falcons visit the Panthers on Sunday. Carolina ranks fourth against fantasy tight ends, and if Ben Watson, Ed Dickson, Vernon Davis, Jared Cook, or Tyler Kroft are available on your waiver wire, they're better options than Hooper. If not, you can start Hooper and hope he sees the end zone again on Sunday.
Week 8 at New York Jets
Austin Hooper caught 1 pass for 6 yards in the Falcons' Week 7 loss to the Patriots. He was a non-factor in the passing game and shouldn't be viewed as a fantasy starter this week when Atlanta travels to East Rutherford to play the Jets. Ranked as our No. 18 TE for Week 8, avoid Hooper on Sunday.
Week 7 at New England Patriots
Austin Hooper caught 7-of-9 targets for 48 yards in the Falcons’ Week 6 loss to the Dolphins. Hooper was the intended target when Matt Ryan tried to thread a pass in between multiple defenders in the closing minute of the game. Hooper was hit on the play and the ball bounced out of his grasp and into the waiting arms of a Miami defender.
Hooper has 12 catches over his last two games and has a great matchup on Sunday night when the Falcons visit the Patriots. New England ranks as the No. 28 defense against fantasy tight ends, so if you’re desperate, you could do worse than Hooper as a streaming option. He ranks as our No. 13 TE for Week 7.
Week 6 vs. Miami Dolphins
Austin Hooper caught 5-of-7 targets for 50 yards in the Falcons' Week 4 loss to the Bills. After he was a ghost in the previous two weeks, it was a nice rebound performance for Hooper. That said, he benefited from the injuries to Julio Jones, who left in the second quarter with a hip flexor, and Mohamed Sanu, who exited the game early in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. Hooper isn't a reliable fantasy option. Ranked as our TE19 for Week 6, avoid using him Sunday when the Falcons host the Dolphins.
Week 4 vs. Buffalo Bills
Austin Hooper caught 1-of-2 targets for 9 yards in the Falcons' Week 3 win over the Lions. Remember his big performance in Week 1 against the Bears? That feels like a decade ago. Hooper is averaging just 4.81 points per game in standard and 6.76 points per game in PPR, although most of that production came in that opening-week performance in Chicago. With so many mouths to feed in Atlanta's offense, Hooper is nothing more than a weekly dart throw. Avoid him in Week 4.
Week 3 at Detroit Lions
Austin Hooper caught just 2 passes for 7 yards in the Falcons' Week 2 win over the Packers. Fantasy owners hoping to cash in on Hooper's big Week 1 performance were left disappointed last Sunday night. As was the case in Week 1, Hooper wasn't a big part of Atlanta's offensive game plan in Week 2. The difference in Week 1 was an 88-yard touchdown pass that Hooper caught on a busted coverage.
The Falcons travel to Detroit on Sunday to take on a Lions team ranked as fantasy's No. 28 defense against tight ends. While the matchup is exploitable, Hooper is a touchdown-dependent start moving forward. There are just too many mouths to feed in Atlanta's offense. Ranked as our TE17, avoid using Hooper in Week 3 (although he's an interesting streaming option in DFS).
Week 2 vs. Green Bay Packers
Austin Hooper had a monster second half against the Bears, catching both of his targets for 128 yards and a touchdown in a Falcons victory. His first catch was an 88-yard touchdown in which he was wide open because of a coverage bust. He then stiff-armed a defender and out-raced everyone to the end zone for his lone score. Fantasy owners that rolled the dice on Hooper were looking at a sunk week from their tight end position after he failed to record a catch in the first three quarters. He saved his owners with a huge fourth quarter.
Ranked as our TE13 for Week 2, Hooper is a fringe TE1 option for Sunday night’s matchup with the Packers, who ranks as fantasy’s No. 17 defense against tight ends.
Week 1 at Chicago Bears
Austin Hooper finished 2016 with 271 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns after catching 19 passes on 27 targets. While the final production wasn't there, Hooper slowly emerged as a reliable target in the Falcons' explosive passing game. He caught a touchdown against the Patriots in the Super Bowl, and now that Jacob Tamme is gone, Hooper is the clear No. 1 tight end in Atlanta.
The Falcons travel to Chicago on Sunday to take on a Bears defense that ranks No. 8 against fantasy tight ends. Hooper could be a reliable streaming option this season, but he ranks as our No. 21 tight end in Week 1, so there are likely better options on your waiver wire. Jack Doyle, Charles Clay, and Zach Miller are some of the better options if you're hard-pressed for a tight end this week.
